Yeasted Waffles

My guys love these waffles. I tried making chocolate waffles as a treat, and the oldest one told me, "Next time make the regular waffles." I was shocked. He likes these over chocolate. Once again, we're using a Cook's Illustrated recipe (March 2004). The ingredients are on the mark, but the original procedure was a nightmare. You had to heat the butter and milk until the butter melted then let it cool to about 110 degrees. So I'd get it heated up, then let it cool, forget about it, heat it up, let it cool. You get the idea. So I didn't make them very often. Until I messed with the procedure. It's a great help in the morning to have the batter already made and this recipe is great for that. It needs to sit in the refrigerator over night to let the yeast do it's thing.

Yeasted Waffles

Seven 7-inch round or four 9-inch square waffles

1 3/4	cups whole milk , or low-fat milk, or skim milk
8	tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 8 pieces
2	cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
1	tablespoon granulated sugar
1	teaspoon table salt
1 1/2	teaspoons instant yeast
2	large eggs
1	teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Melt butter in the microwave in a two cup measure. In small bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla until combined. Pour the melted butter into the eggs while whisking to combine. Heat the milk in the two cup measure in the microwave for about 1 minute, so it's just warm to the touch. Add to butter and eggs. Meanwhile, whisk flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in large bowl to combine. Gradually whisk warm milk/butter mixture into flour mixture; continue to whisk until batter is smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 12 and up to 24 hours.

2. Following manufacturer’s instructions, heat waffle iron; remove waffle batter from refrigerator when waffle iron is hot (batter will be foamy and doubled in size). Whisk batter to recombine (batter will deflate). Bake waffles according to manufacturer’s instructions (use about ½ cup for 7-inch round iron and about 1 cup for 9-inch square iron). Serve waffles immediately or hold in low temperature oven.

General Tso's Chicken

The first Chinese dish I actually had that I liked was General Tso's Chicken. When we were first married, we used to get some from a now closed place in Muncie, Ind. We found a recipe online probably 10 years ago and tweaked it until it suited our liking. Then Cook's Illustrated put out the recipe for Orange-Flavored Chicken (see prior post) and we used that procedure and modified the sauce/marinade to make General Tso's Chicken.

General Tso's Chicken
Serves 4

Marinade and Sauce
1 1/2	pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs , trimmed and cut in 1-inch pieces
3/4	cup low-sodium chicken broth
3/4	cup pineapple juice
6	tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1/4 1/4	cup soy sauce chili sauce, from the Asian foods isle, not the ketchup isle
1/2	cup packed dark brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
3	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1	piece fresh ginger (about 1 inch), grated (1 tablespoon)
1/2	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1	tablespoon cornstarch , plus 2 teaspoons
2	tablespoons water (cold)
8	small whole dried red chiles (optional)
Coating and Frying Medium
3	large egg whites
1 1/2	cup cornstarch
1/4	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
3 1	cups peanut oil bunch broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces, steamed

1. FOR THE MARINADE AND SAUCE: Place chicken in 1-gallon zipper-lock bag; set aside. Combine chicken broth, pineapple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, chili sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, and cayenne in large saucepan (with at least 3-quart capacity); whisk until sugar is fully dissolved. Measure out 3/4 cup mixture and pour into bag with chicken; press out as much air as possible and seal bag, making sure that all pieces are coated with marinade. Refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes, but no longer.

2. Bring remaining mixture in saucepan to boil over high heat. In small bowl, stir together cornstarch and cold water; whisk cornstarch mixture into sauce. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, until thick and translucent, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in chiles (sauce should measure 1 1/2 cups); set sauce aside.

3. FOR THE COATING: Place egg whites in pie plate; using fork, beat until frothy. In second pie plate, whisk cornstarch, cayenne, and baking soda until combined. Drain chicken in colander or large mesh strainer; thoroughly pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place half of chicken pieces in egg whites and turn to coat; transfer pieces to cornstarch mixture and coat thoroughly. Place dredged chicken pieces on wire rack set over baking sheet; repeat with remaining chicken.

4. TO FRY THE CHICKEN: Heat oil in 11- to 12-inch Dutch oven or straight-sided sauté pan with at least 3-quart capacity over high heat until oil registers 350 degrees on instant-read or deep-fry thermometer. Carefully place half of chicken in oil one piece at a time; fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning each piece with tongs halfway through cooking. Transfer chicken to large plate lined with paper towels. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining chicken.

5. TO SERVE: Reheat sauce over medium heat until simmering, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and gently toss until evenly coated and heated through. Add steamed broccoli. Serve immediately.

Not-Fried Rice

So when we go out for Chinese I always like to get the fried rice. I just like the extra veggies and bit of seasoning over the plain white rice. I don't usually have cooked rice left over to make fried rice so here's what I make instead.

Not-Fried Rice

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup uncooked rice
2 cups liquid (If I have leftover chicken broth, I use that and add water to make up the rest.)
1/2 cup diced veggies, (I usually use carrots and frozen peas, but last time I added peeled, diced broccoli stems too)
1 tbsp. soy sauce

In a sauce pan, add oil and rice. Saute until translucent. Add liquid, veggies and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Orange-Flavored Chicken

So the other night we made Orange-Flavored Chicken. This recipe was taken from Cook's Illustrated (May 2005). We made slight modifications in cutting the chicken smaller and increasing the cornstarch for coating the chicken and adding steamed broccoli at the end. (I like to steam the broccoli in the microwave with a couple tablespoons of water. Cook on high for 4 minutes.) This is a fussy recipe, but it's well worth the effort. To save some time, I cut up the chicken when I get it home from the store before freezing. Then when I want to make this dish (or General Tso's Chicken) I just pull out a bag the night before to thaw. It doesn't seem like much, but with all that is going on it helps a lot. I like to serve this with Not-Fried Rice. It has veggies like fried rice, but it's not fried.



Orange-Flavored Chicken
Serves 4

Marinade and Sauce
1 1/2	pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs , trimmed and cut in 1-inch pieces
3/4	cup low-sodium chicken broth
3/4	cup orange juice , plus 1 1/2 teaspoons grated zest, and 8 strips orange peel (each about 2 inches long by 1/2 inch wide) from 2 oranges
6	tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1/4	cup soy sauce
1/2	cup packed dark brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
3	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1	piece fresh ginger (about 1 inch), grated (1 tablespoon)
1/4	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1	tablespoon cornstarch , plus 2 teaspoons
2	tablespoons water (cold)
8	small whole dried red chiles (optional)
Coating and Frying Medium
3	large egg whites
1 1/2	cup cornstarch
1/4	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
3 1	cups peanut oil bunch broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces, steamed

1. FOR THE MARINADE AND SAUCE: Place chicken in 1-gallon zipper-lock bag; set aside. Combine chicken broth, orange juice, grated zest, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, and cayenne in large saucepan (with at least 3-quart capacity); whisk until sugar is fully dissolved. Measure out 3/4 cup mixture and pour into bag with chicken; press out as much air as possible and seal bag, making sure that all pieces are coated with marinade. Refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes, but no longer.

2. Bring remaining mixture in saucepan to boil over high heat. In small bowl, stir together cornstarch and cold water; whisk cornstarch mixture into sauce. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, until thick and translucent, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in orange peel and chiles (sauce should measure 1 1/2 cups); set sauce aside.

3. FOR THE COATING: Place egg whites in pie plate; using fork, beat until frothy. In second pie plate, whisk cornstarch, cayenne, and baking soda until combined. Drain chicken in colander or large mesh strainer; thoroughly pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place half of chicken pieces in egg whites and turn to coat; transfer pieces to cornstarch mixture and coat thoroughly. Place dredged chicken pieces on wire rack set over baking sheet; repeat with remaining chicken.

4. TO FRY THE CHICKEN: Heat oil in 11- to 12-inch Dutch oven or straight-sided sauté pan with at least 3-quart capacity over high heat until oil registers 350 degrees on instant-read or deep-fry thermometer. Carefully place half of chicken in oil one piece at a time; fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning each piece with tongs halfway through cooking. Transfer chicken to large plate lined with paper towels. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining chicken.

5. TO SERVE: Reheat sauce over medium heat until simmering, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and gently toss until evenly coated and heated through. Add steamed broccoli. Serve immediately.

Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Muffins

So I took my mom's Banana Nut Bread recipe, added chocolate chips, and portioned it out into muffins. I usually end up making a double batch and freezing the extras. The last double batch I made yielded 3 dozen muffins plus a couple extra made in oven proof custard cups (because I can't stand to waste the extra batter that wouldn't fit).

Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Muffins

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening (I like butter flavored Crisco)
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts (Mom uses walnuts, but I prefer pecans)
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, bananas and dry ingredients. Add nuts and chocolate chips; stir in lightly. Do not overbeat. Spoon into greased regular or mini muffin cups. (I use a #20 scoop for regular muffins and a #60 scoop for mini muffins.) Bake for about 30 minutes or until they test done with a toothpick. I usually smell them when they're about done. Cool in the pan about 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to finish cooling.

Banana Nut Bread

So my mom has been making this Banana Nut Bread for as long as I can remember. I don't know which book she got the recipe out of, maybe the old faithful Better Homes and Gardens book. But it works out well every time.

Banana Nut Bread

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening (I like butter flavored Crisco)
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts (Mom uses walnuts, but I prefer pecans)

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, bananas and dry ingredients. Add nuts; stir in lightly. Do not overbeat. Pour into 2 greased 4" x 9" loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until they test done with a toothpick. Makes 2 loaves.

Pulled Pork

So this is a great recipe to put in the freezer for quick meals. And it's actually better once it's been sauced and frozen or refrigerated. Although it's really good when freshly made. Once we started making this pulled pork, we rarely find ourselves without a package in the freezer. We've modified the procedure but use the ingredients as written in Cuisine at Home, June 2003, pgs. 18-21. We usually make at least a double batch of the rub so that it's ready for the next batch.

Pulled Pork
Combine:
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. cayenne
Coat:
1 8 lb pork shoulder (Boston Butt)

Soak wood chips for 30 minutes. Set up smoker. Coat shoulder with rub. Once the smoking begins, place the shoulder in the smoker. Smoke fat side up at about 200 degrees for 7-8 hrs. Let rest 30 minutes, or until cool enough to shred.

While the pork is smoking, make the sauce:

Root Beer BBQ Sauce
Reduce:
1 2-liter bottle root beer
Add and Simmer:
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup yellow mustard
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. Tabasco
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
Finish with:
2 tbsp. butter

Reduce root beer to 1 cup over medium heat in a deep skillet (it takes about 1 hour).
Add vinegar, ketchup, mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire, Tabasco, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine. Simmer 20 minutes.
Finish with butter to give the sauce extra body and flavor.

Finishing up the pork:
Shred the pork by hand or with forks (pieces that are difficult to shred can be pulsed in a food processor). Mix in sauce. Serve on bread or as is. Enjoy!

Newbie

So I'm new to all of this. But I've been threatening to start some kind of post to get myself organized. We tend to cook seasonally, grilling in the warm months, using one dish and crock pot meals in the cold months. But when the seasons change I always find myself wondering what we made before that we enjoyed so much. And we're always trying new recipes from magazines, online, or in cookbooks. This is my attempt to get those recipes in order. And hopefully others will enjoy the recipes we've found.